Drop in attendance leads to new ticket policy at PSU

CHICAGO - Penn State's public sale for single-game tickets for the 2013 home season will begin July 30, but there will be a catch for fans interested in seeing the Nittany Lions play high-profile opponents Michigan or Nebraska.

Fans interested in buying public tickets for the Michigan game Oct. 12 will be required to buy the same amount of tickets for the Eastern Michigan game Sept. 7. Those interested in buying tickets for the Nebraska game Nov. 23 will be required to buy the same amount of tickets for the Kent State game Sept. 21.

Other schools have established similar policies for their biggest home games, but this is a new policy at Penn State. Athletic director Dave Joyner said Wednesday that school officials want to increase revenue and fill the stadium.

"The more people in the stadium obviously you can bring in more money," Joyner said. "We want to have a full stadium because that contributes to the experience. The more people you have in the stands the more exciting it is and the more people want to be there to be a part of that."

Penn State's attendance dropped 5 percent last season to 96,730 per game. The Nittany Lions drew 90,358 fans to a 45-22 win over Indiana last November, their worst home attendance since an estimated 80,000 watched the "Snow Bowl" against Michigan in 1995.

Only once did Penn State's attendance top 100,000 last season in 106,572-seat Beaver Stadium, and that was when 107,818 showed up to see a 35-23 loss to Ohio State. That's the first time that's happened since the stadium expanded in 2001.

Since averaging 108,917 per home game in 2007, Penn State's attendance has dipped every season. The Lions were averaging 107,008 in 2009 before the controversial STEP program was announced in 2010. Many longtime season-ticket holders balked at the new plan, which increased Nittany Lion Club donations for the better seats.

"There have been concerns (about home attendance) over the years," Joyner said. "We still averaged almost 97,000 last year, which was fifth. If you look at the curve that's been going on the last seven or eight years at Beaver Stadium, it's been a steady line down. You want to change that trend."

Attendance across the country in the Football Bowl Subdivision dropped last season to 45,274 per game, the lowest average since 2003. The average for Big Ten schools dropped to 70,387, the conference's lowest since 2008.

"I just came out of a (Big Ten) meeting," Joyner said. "We're looking at a lot of ways to increase the fan experience at the stadium and make things really interesting for them. Give them some things that maybe they can't get at home."

As for Penn State home games this season, Nittany Lion Club members can still buy season tickets and single-game tickets before the public sale begins Tuesday. NLC members are not required to follow the new policy for the Michigan and Nebraska games.

The pricing for the public sale reflects the per-game pricing of a season ticket, which includes a Nittany Lion Club per seat donation. The public prices are $140 per ticket for seats between the 30-yard lines; $110 per ticket for seats from the 10- to 30-yard lines; and $70 (bench) and $74 (chairback) per ticket for seats in the end zones to the 10-yard lines.